Deputy Director Emeritus of the Tokyo National Museum Mr. Yasuhiro Nishioka, an internationally renowned specialist in Chinese lacquers, was the first Margaret F. Williams Fellow from Asia. Mr. Nishioka conducted research on the Asian Art Museum’s extensive collection of Chinese lacquer ware, one of three major collections in the U.S.. The Museum produced a catalogue based on Mr. Nishioka’s research.
Established by the late Asia Foundation President Emeritus Ambassador Haydn Williams, the Margaret F. Williams Memorial Fellows in Asian Art Program honors his late wife, whose interest in Asian art was stimulated by their travels together on Asia Foundation visits to the region. Mrs. Williams was also a founding docent at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, the cooperating partner in implementing the fellowship program.
On May 12, 2008, an earthquake struck central China leaving more than 86,000 people dead and missing and some 15 million homeless. In the year since this disaster, the Chinese government has undertaken the enormous task of rebuilding homes and schools through an innovative twinning approach, allocating rural and urban areas hit by the earthquake to various provinces and cities across China to assist in the reconstruction. The goal is to complete the rebuilding of rural homes and schools by the end of this year.
The progress in reconstruction is a major achievement, but there has been something else of equal significance, and that is progress in the government’s approach to disaster management. It is markedly more open than it was during major natural disasters in the 1990s, in terms of providing information about reconstruction and in terms of coordinating and cooperating with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and community groups on disaster relief and management. The government plans to mark the one year anniversary of the earthquake, known in China as “5-12,” with events to raise public awareness about disaster preparedness. (more…)
The first recipient of the Visiting Fellow award, Dr. Zhao Gang, Professor and Director, Chinese Academy of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, is prominent in international discussions related to clean energy collaboration. He met with representatives of diverse sectors to discuss clean energy and climate mitigation policies and explore partnerships with China.
The Asia Foundation Chang-Lin Tien Fellows Program was established to foster exchanges for leaders to meet and interact with their counterparts in Asia and the U.S. The fellowship honors the late Dr. Chang-Lin Tien, former Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, for his many accomplishments in science, higher education, and community affairs. It was created to highlight Dr. Tien’s assuming the chairmanship of The Asia Foundation Board of Trustees in 1999.
In recognition of his leadership in business and civic affairs, Dr. Stan Shih, Chief Executive Officer (retired) and Co-Founder of the Acer Group, was the first Chang Lin Tien Distinguished Visiting Fellow. He participated in a wide range of public presentations in California on economic development and trade between Asia and the U.S.
The Asia Foundation Chang-Lin Tien Fellows Program was established to foster exchanges for leaders to meet and interact with their counterparts in Asia and the U.S. The fellowship honors the late Dr. Chang-Lin Tien, former Chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, for his many accomplishments in science, higher education, and community affairs. It was created to highlight Dr. Tien’s assuming the chairmanship of The Asia Foundation Board of Trustees in 1999.
